Territory



4 Sheets- Sheet l.

(No Model.)

J. M. BROWNING. GAS OPERATED MACHINE GUN.

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 2.

J. M. BROWNING. l

GAS OPBRATED MACHINE GUN. i No. 544,657. Patented-Aug. 20,1895.

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J. M. BROWNING.

. GAS OPBRATBD MAGHINB GUN.

No. 544,657. Patented Aug. 20, 1895.

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' J. M. BROWNING. GAS OPERATBD MACHINE GUN.

No. 544,657. Patented Aug. Z0, 1895.

Q `\N\ NM1 NIH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. BROVVNING, OF OGDN, UTAH TERRITORY.

GAS-OPERATED MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,657, dated August20, 1895.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. BRowNING, of Ogden, in the county of Weberand Territory of Utah, have invented a new Improve- -inent inMachine-Guns; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with accompanying drawings, and the letters and numerals ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification,and represent, in-

Figure l, a side View of the gun; Fig. la, a horizontal section showingthe breech-piece in plan View as unlocked enlarged; Fig. 1b, the same,showing the breech-piece thrown into its locked engagement enlarged;Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view showing the mechanism of the gunin the closed or normal position. Fig. 2a is a detail view, on anenlarged scale, of the feed-wheel and spring-latch bolt engagingtherewith; Fig. 3, the same, showing the parts in the extreme openposition; Fig. 4, an under side view of the forward portion of v-thegun, showing the connection between the slide and the operating-lever;Fig. 5, an under side View of the breech-block enlarged; Fig. 6, anunder side View of the slide; Fig. 7', a top view of the carrier; Fig.S, a transverse section on line y y of Fig. 2 enlarged; Fig. 9, atransverse section on line a; Qc ot' Fig. 2 enlarged; Fig. 10, atransverse section on line of Fig. 1a enlarged; Fig. 10a, a face view ofthe feed-wheel ratchet enlarged; Fig. 11, a longitudinal section showingside view of the breech-piece, carrier, and slide enlarged to illustratethe operation of the shoulders w in the receiver; Fig. 12, alongitudinal sectional side view illustrating the operation of the sear;Fig. 18, a horizontal section of the forward portion of the receiver,showing the passage through which the cartridge rises and the shouldersw enlarged; Fig. 14, a side View of the band with the cartridgestherein; Fig. 15, an edge view ot' the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of guns in whichthe force of the gases produced by explosion is employed as a meansforoperating the mechanism of the arm, and whereby under the force ofthe explosion the breech-piece is opened, the eX- ploded shellextracted, the breech-piece forced to its wideopen position, the hammercocked,

a fresh cartridge presented forward ot the breech-piece for insertioninto the barrel, and in the opening movement of the breech-piece aspring is compressed, and sothat immediately upon the parts reaching theopen position the said spring reacts to return the parts to the closedposition, carrying the fresh cartridge into the barrel and dischargingit, whereupon a second opening movement is produced and so continuing,the gun being automatic in its operation so long as cartridges aresupplied thereto.

In another application for Letters Patent by myself and Matthew S.Browning, Serial No. 485,215, there is described a mechanism adapted tobe operated by-gases of explosion; The presentinvention isanimprovementupon the invention of that application, and shows certainparts in construction and operation like the corresponding parts in thesaid application. In that application the breech-piece is arranged sothat while it moves longitudinally backward and forward in opening andclosing it is permitted at its rear end an upand-down swinging movement,turning upon its forward end as a pivot, such upand-down movement of therear end of the breech-piece being for the purpose of unlocking andlocking the breech-piece.

The object of the present invention is specially to arrange thebreech-piece so that its locking and unlocking movements are produced bya lateral swing instead of vertically, as in the before-mentionedapplication, as well as to improve the gun in other points; and

the invention consistsin the construction and combination of parts, ashereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the receiver, at the forward end of which the barrel B isarranged and opens into the receiver at the rear.

O represents the breechpiece, which is pret'- erably rectangular inshape in transverse section, and is arranged in a longitudinal recess Din the receiver, so as to be moved freely backward and forward, the saidrecess corresponding in shape to the shape of the breechpiece. Therecess in which the breech-piece moves opens downward through a grooveE, as seen in Fig. 8, which is somewhat narrower than the width of thebreech-piece, so that IOO the breech-piece may be supported againstvertical movement. At the forward end of the breech-piece is a downwardprojection F, which slides in the groove E as the breechpiece movesbackward and forward. On the right-hand side of the breech-piece when itis in its closed position a lateral opening G is made through the sideof the receiver, (see Figs. la and 10,) and when the breech-piece is inthe closed position, as seen in the said Fig. l, its rear end stands inline with the rear end II of the opening G, and so that the rear end ofthe breech-piece may be thrown outward into the said opening, as seen inFig. l, and so as to bringthe rear end of the breechpiece against theend H of the opening G as an abutment to support the breech-pieceagainst recoil.

To open the breech-piece its rear end must be thrown inward, as from theposition in Fig. l" to that seen in Fig. l, and so as to bring thebreechpiece into line with the recess in the receiver in which thebreech-piece may move. In this movement of the breech-piece it turnslaterally as upon a pivot at its forward end, the downward projection Fin the groove below serving as such pivot.

'lhe breech-piece is operated by means of a longitudinal slide I,arranged beneath the barrel and extending through the forward end of thereceiver below the breech-piece, and so that it may be freely movedbackward and forward, as from the position in Fig. 2 to that seen inFig. 3, and return.

On the under side of the breech-piece and at its rear end is acam-groove J. (See Fig. 5.) The main portion of the groove is oblique tothe axis of the breech-piece, its inclination being from the left-handside toward the righthand side, and as represented in broken lines,Figs. la and l, and the groove also contains the longitudinal portion atits forward end, as shown in Figs. l, 1b, and 5. At its rear end theslide I is constructed with a stud K, which extends into the cam-grooveJ of the breechpiece, and when the breech-piece is in its extremeforward and closed position the stud stands in the forward end of thecam-groove J, and as indicated in broken lines, Fig. l". As the slide Icommences its rear movement the stud K operates in the cam-groove J ofthe breech-piece, first moving in the longitudinal portion thereof andcausing lateral movement of the breech-piece, and then moving in theinclined portion of the cam-groove to impart to the breech-piece aninward lateral move ment, as from the position in Fig. lb to that seenin Fig. l, and which brings the breechpiece into its unlocked positionand ready for rear movement as the stud K strikes the rear Aend of thecam-groove in the breech-piece, as

seen in Fig. la. Then acontinued rear movethe breech-piece at the rear,and at its rear end is provided with a downward projection M, and sothat the rear end of the slide I will strike this projection M of thefiringpin as it completes the unlocking movement of the breech-piece andso as to retract the firingpin, as represented in Fig. 3, the firing-pinbeing held so retracted throughout the rear movement of thebreech-piece, and until on the return of the slide I and breech-piecethe breeclrpiece is brought to its forward position. Then the slidecontinues its forward movement, the stud K returning in the camgrooveJoperates thereon to force the breechpiece from its. unlocked positionseen in Fig. la to its locked position, as seen in Fig. 1b, and thislocking movement takes the end of the slide away from the projection Mof the tiring-pin, so as to leave that pin free to be forced forwardunder the blow of the hammer. After the breech-piece has been locked theslide has a further forward movement, during which the stud K moves inthe longitudinal portion of the camgroove J.

In rear of the breech-piece a longitudinallyreciprocating hammer N isarranged, provided with a suitable spring O, and so that as thebreech-piece is thrown rearward the hammer will also be forced rearwardand compress its spring, thehammer being caught by a suitable triggerwhen in its full-cocked position and there held until the breech-piecereturns. Then the trigger may be pulled to liberate the hammer and theblow bei mparted to the firing-pin in the usual manner. Thereciprocating movement of the slide I, as here represented, is producedby the same mechanism as that described in the application beforereferred to, and therefore requires but brief description for its properunderstanding.

At a point in the barrel forward of the cartridge -chamber an aperture Pis formed, which opens outward. Near this aperture a lever Q is hungupon a pivot R, so as to swing in a plane parallel with the plane of theaxis of the barrel. As here represented the lever is hung in rear of theaperture P and extends forward, and is provided at its forward or freeend with some device which may per- Init the gases of explosion to passthrough the aperture P, and so act upon the forward end of the lever asto impart to it a swinging movement and throw it to its rear or openposition, as seen in Fig. 3; The lever Q is connected to the slide I bymeans of a rod S, so that the rearward swinging movement of the levercommunicates to the slide I its rear movement, and consequently thecorresponding rear movement of the breech-piece. In the rear movement ofthe breech-piece a springT, which is connected with the lever Q, iscompressed, and so that the reaction of the spring, after the rearmovement of the lever, as before described, will cause the lever toreturn to its closed position, and in such return movement will draw theslide I for- ICO IIC)

ward and bring the breech-piece to its closed and locked position.`

To engage the hammer and hold it in its cockedl position, so that it maybe released only when the breech-piece is in its closed position, andthen automatically released, the same sear and trigger mechanism isemployed as that in the before-mentioned application; but according tothis invention the sear engages with the slide instead of. engaging withthe breech-piece, as in the above-mentioned application, and as theslide completes its forward movement after the breech-piece has beenfully locked, and while the stud K is moving in the longitudinal portionof the camgroove-J, the slide strikes the sear. The effect of theengagement of the sear with the slide lis to put the tiring mechanisminto operative position, and it the trigger is held in pulled position,as in automatic tiring, the engagement of the sear and slide releasesthe'hammer, so that the hammer will be thrown forward and will explodethe cartridge. When the sear is not in engagement with the slide,

the firing mechanism is out of operative position-z'. e., the hammercannot be released by pulling the trigger. It. will therefore be evidentthat according to this invention the firing mechanism is only inoperative position while the stud K of the slide occupies the forwardend of or is moving backward or forward in the longitudinal portion ofthe camgroove J, which it does during only a short period, and duringthis period the breechpiece is necessarily firmly held in fully-lockedposition, while in all other positions of the parts, whether thebreech-piece is moving into or out of fully-locked position or is out oflocked position, the firing mechanism is out of operative position andthe gun cannot be discharged.

U represents the sear, which is hung at its rear end by a pivot V to thetrigger W, the trigger being hung upon a pivot X in rear of the pivot V.The nose Z of the sear is adapted to engage a corresponding notch orshoulder of the hammer when the hammer is in the rear position, and aspring a is provided, the tendency of which is to force the nose of thesear into such engagement with the hammer, and as seen in Fig. 3. Thesear is constructed with a forwardly-projecting finger b, which extendsto a position below the slide, so that when the slide-is in its extremeforward or closed position, as seen in Fig. 2, the end of the finger bwill bear upon a corresponding projection or point c on the under sideof the slide, but so that after the slide commences its rear movement itwill escape from the end of the linger. When the end of the sear-fingerY) is thus engaged with the slide, that point of engagement serves as afulcrum for the sear, and so that as the trigger is pulled, as seeninbreken lines, Fig. 2, the rear end of the sear will be drawn downward,the sear turning upon its fulcrum Vor bearing-point c of the slide, andso as to draw the nose Z of the sear'from its engagement with the hammerand thereby liberate the hammer. The trigger being held in the pulledposition, and as the slide moves rearward and escapes from the end ofthe finger b of the sear, the pivot between the sear and trigger servesas a fulcrum for the sear, and s o that as the slide and breech-piecemove rearward the sear is free to rise under the action of the spring ainto a position to engage the hammer when it arrives at the full-cockposition, as seen in Fig. 3. The trigger being held in the pulledposition,when next the slide with the breechpiece is moved forward theprojection c on the slide will strike the end of the linger b and turnthe sear down out of engagement with the hammer, so as to liberate thehammer and permit it to fly forward toproduce explosion. Consequently solong as the trigger is held in a pulled position the opening movement ofthe breech-piece leaves the sear free to engage the hammer; but when thebreech-piece has vreturned and reached its extreme forward and lockedposition, the sear will be operated upon so as to release the hammer,and thereby automatic engagement and disengagement of the hammer withthe sear occurs so long as the reciprocating movement of thebreech-piece is continued and the trigger is held; but if at any timethe trigger Q l will be withdrawn, automatic tiring will continue solong as the cartridges are so supplied. A

To supply cartridges a rotating feed-wheel d is arranged below thebarrel and near its rear end upon an axis e, parallel with the axis ofthe barrel. This axis is supported at its ends in suitable bearings f g,and consists ofa spindle or axle, which extends through the feed-wheel,and the feed-Wheel is secured to the axle by a set-screw h or otherwise,so that the axle and wheel will re- Volve together. Theaxlel extendsthrough its forward bearing, and on its forward end is provided With aratchet-wheel QI, the teeth of the ratchet'being pins or studsj` on theforward face of the wheel, as seen in Figs. 2 and 10a.

The feed-wheel d is constructed withlongitudinal grooves in itsperiphery, as seen in Fig. 9, each groove being adapted to engage acartridge, and through the left-hand side of the receiver is an openingk, through which cartridges may be supplied to the feed-wheel, and sothat a cartridge, as Z, restingin one groovewiil be gradually advanceduntil it be brought into the position m, Fig. 9, where it is in alinedirectly belowthe barrel; but the wheel is so arranged that cartridgesin the wheel stand with their heads ICO IIO

somewhat forward of the rear end of the barrel, and as clearly seen inFig 2.

The slide I is provided on its under side with a spring feed-hook fn,like the extracting-hook usually employed on the breech- .piece for theextraction of the cartridge from the barrel, and its arrangement on theslide is in such relative position to the cartridges in the feed-wheelthat when the slide is in its forward position and the breech-piececlosed, as seen in Fig. 2, the feed-hook n will have passed over andengaged the head or fiange of the uppermost cartridge m in thefeed-wheel. Then as the slide commences its rear movement it will takethe cartridge m so engaged rearward from the feed-wheel and throughoutthe extent of the movement of the slide. As the slide must move acertain distance in order to unlock the breechpiece bcforethe rearmovement of the breechpiece commences, the position of the cartridge inthe feed-wheel is normally so far forward of the frontA face of theclosed breech-piece that when the opening movement of the breech-pieceis produced by the first part of the rear movement of the slide theslide will have drawn the cartridge so far rearward as to bring its headin a plane just forward of the front face of the breech-piece, and fromthat time the breech-piece and cartridge will move together.

By providing for the extraction of the oartridges from thefeed-wheel bytheir heads, I am enabled to employ a feed-belt having its forward edgeclosed, and this I prefer for the reason that in such a belt there isless opportunity for the cartridge to be displaced endwise. Furthermoreby feeding the cartridges by their heads from the feed-belt to thecarrier, I avoid, even in the most rapid tiring of the gun, disfiguringtheir lead bullets or distorting or displacing the same in their shells,the effect in either case being to militate against accurate firing.Again, by feeding the cartridges by their heads they are kept undercontrol as to rearward movement until engaged by the breech-lock forbeing pushed into the gun-barrel, whereby they are prevented fromgetting out of `place should the gun be held atahigh elevation intiring. The cartridge is drawn by the slide onto a carrier o, which isarranged below the breechpiece and slide and so that the cartridge maybe drawn onto the carrier, as seen in Fig. 3. The carrier extends to therear, and is hung upon a pivot p, so as to swing in a vertical plane, asusual, and as in the gun of the application before referred to. Thecartridge stops against a shoulder q, formed on the carrier forward ofits pivot, so as to hold the cartridge in its proper position for beingraised. The carrier extends at the rear of its pivot, and in its rearend a dog 0 is hung to swing in a vertical plane upon the pivot s, thedog extending upward from its pivot and so that the dog stands nearlyvertical or slightly inclined rearward. A'spring t is provided, the

tendency of which is to hold the dog in its forward position against asuitable stop in the carrier, and as seen in Fig. 11. This dog stands inthe path of movement of the downward projection c on the under side ofthe slide, and so that as the slide moves rearward in opening theprojection c will strike the dog r and turn the dog rearward withouteffect upon the carrier, as indicated in broken lines,

Fig. 3; but as soon as the projection c escapes from the dog, then thedog will return under the action of its spring t to its normal position,and so that the projection c will stand at the rear of the dog, as seenin Fig. 3. Then when the slide commences lits forward movement theprojection o strikes the nose of the dog and operates thereon as a camto depress the rear end of the carrier, which causes the carrier to riseand take with it the cartridge to the position seen in Fig. 11, bringingthe head of the cartridge just forward of the front face of thebreech-piece and so that as the breech-piece advances, as seen in brokenlines, Fig. 11, it will force the cartridge forward into the barrel. Thepassage in the receiver through which ythe cartridge passes in beingraised by the carrier is contracted near its forward end, as seen inFig. 13, corresponding-to the shape of the neck of the cartridge, itbeing understood that necked cartridges are best adapted for the use ofthis class of guns, and such as clearly seen in Fig. ll, the saidsection cutting horizontally and longitudinally through the receiver inthe plane of the bottom of the breech-piece. The forward partuof thepassage from below up through the receiver is slightly wider than thatof the forward portion of the cartridge, while the rear portion ocorresponds in width to the rear portion of the cartridge, thecontraction forward producing shoulders w in each side of the receiver,and these shoulders are inclined or curved upward and forward, as seenin Fig. 1l. The position of the shoulders is somewhat forward of thepoint where the contraction of the shell commences as the cartridge lieson the carrier, as seen in Fig. ll. As the breechpiece moves forward, asseen in broken lines, Fig. 1l, it forces the cartridge forward, thepoint of the cartridge entering the barrel as the expanding portion ofthe shell reaches the shoulders w, and so that from that time theadvance movement of the cartridge will cause the larger part of thecartridge to ride up over the shoulders w and raise the rear end of thecartridge nearly into line with the barrel, and as represented in Fig.11, the contraction of the opening and the shoulders thus raising thecartridge at once taking the cartridge from the support of the carrier,so that the return of the carrier may commence much sooner than would bepracticable without such raising of the cartridge, thereby reducing to avery considerable extent the rest which would be required for thecarrier were it not for this relieving the carrier from the IOO TIO

support of the cartridge and giving'so much more' time for the movementof the carrier, which is very important in rapid-firing or automaticguns. The slide is constructed with an'openingw (see Fig. 6) upwardthrough it for the passage of the cartridge under the movement of thecarrier. As the slide returns, the projection c strikes the carrier inrear of the shoulder q and forcesthe carrier downward to its homeposition, as seen in Fig. 2, ready to receive the next cartridge.

An intermittent rotation is imparted to the `feed-wheel to bring thecartridges successively ward, and while a cartridge is being drawnl fromthe feed-wheel, the recess 3 engages the lever y and throws it rearwardtothe position seen in Fig. 3. VThe lever y carries a springpawl4, whichis adapted to engage the pins or'teeth of the ratchet-wheel t', but inthe rear movement the pawl escapes a tooth of the ratchet-wheel andpasses to thenext tooth.

Then as the slide 'returns the lever yl is turned forward to theposition seen in Fig. 2, which raises the pawl 4 and through itsengagement with the ratchet-wheel i turns that 4 ratchet-wheel onepoint-that is, so far as to bring the next cartridge carried by thewheel into position to be transferred to the carrier,` as beforedescribed. A spring latch-bolt 5 is provided, (see Figs. 2 and 2%) whichwill e11-V gage the feed-wheel at its points of rest, and so as toyieldingly hold it in that position while the cartridge is in place anduntil the cartridge is transferred, but will yield to the turning of thefeed-wheel by the action of the pawl, as before described.

The breech-piece is provided with the usual extractor-hook 6, withcorresponding opposv rily so rapid that if the shells be suddenly ingshoulder 7, as seen in Fig. la, so that the cartridge-head will beengaged and withdrawn in the rear movement of the breechpiece andejected when the shell is drawn sufficiently far from the barrel for thepurpose.

The firing inan automatic gun is necessaejected the force will be sogreat as to make it dangerous to persons standing near the gun. To avoidthis difficulty the force of ejection is reduced by arranging in thereceiver upon the opposite side of the breech-piece to theextractor-hookan ej ecting-block 8. This block takes the place of thecommon ejectorstud, which acts instantly when the cartridgehead reachesthe stud; but in this case the block is elongated, so :as to present alengthened surface in the path of the head of the cartridge-shell. It isbest grooved on its "face, as seen in Fig. 10, so as to produce twoflanges 9 and l0, and vthese fiange's are vertically notched, as seen inFigs. la and lb, these notches being inclined both forward and backwad,so as to form teeth of slight projection, neither-'of which is sucientin itself to quite throwthe head of the shell out of engagement with theextractor. Consequently the head of the shell as it is being retractedwill pass from tooth to tooth until finally it escapes, and suchescaping will give it a whirl longitudinally, so as to throw it throughthe openingin the receiver in ashort curve, which will cause'it to fallclose by the gun, in contradistinction to being thrown directly from thegun to one side, as must be the case when the ejection is madeinstantaneous by the single ejecting-shoulder.

Cartridges may be fed toV the feed-Wheel through the opening 7c by meansof a hopper or other conductor which will deliver the cartridges to thatopeningV so that they will be successively taken by the feed-wheel, asrepresented in broken lines, Fig. 9; but an endless band may be used,which will work over the feed-wheel as a band over a pulley, au opening105 being provided (see Fig. 9) in the opposite side frame of the gun,through which the empty end of the cartridge belt or yband will escapeas the belt is fed in through the opening lc over the feed-wheel andafter the cartridges have been extracted from the feedband pockets. Thismay be as described in the application for patent before referred to, oritmay be made asl seen in Figs. 14 and 15. The band ll is constructed inwidth somewhatshorter than the length of the cartridges, and with aseries of transverse pockets l2 equidistant from each other; but insteadof extending entirely through the pockets, as in the band before`referred to, the pockets are closed at one end, so that the pocketsopen only at one edge of the band, the other edge of the band beingclosed, and these pockets correspond in shape to that portion of theshell from the point rearward toward the head; but the depth of thepockets is so much less than the length of the complete cartridge that aportion of the head end will project from the open pockets at one edgeof the band, and so that the band may be set on over the feed'- wheel,and the grooves of the revolving feedwheel will engage with the ribsformed by the cartridges in the pockets, and so as to advance thecartridges under the rotation of the feedwheel. I do not, however, claimmyimproved band herein, having made the same the subject of a separateapplication pending concurrently herewith.

The endless band with the cartridges is supplied in cases containingseveral bands, so that as soon as one is used another may replace it andthe discharged band may be resupplied with cartridges. Y

While all the parts of the gun are specially adapted for automaticoperation by means of the gases of explosion, parts of the invention areapplicable to breech-loading and magazine arms in which the magazine isarranged below the barrel, so that cartridges may pass rearward onto thecarrier. The. invention is therefore not to be understood as limited toa machine or automatic gun.

The connection between the breech-piece and slide is represented asforming the camgroove in the breech-piece and the stud on the slide; butit will be understood that this order may be reversed, the stud being onthe breech-piece and the' groove in the slide, should such constructionbe preferred. This modification is too apparent to require illustration,it only being essential to the invention that there shall be thetransverse camgroove on the one and the stud on the other, whereby thelateral swinging movement may be imparted to the breech-piece when itstands in its closed position, and so as to lock the breech-piece in andunlock it from that position.

In Fig. l the gnnis represented as arranged upon a support the same asthat in the beforementioned application; but such support, being no partof the present invention, does not require to be particularly described.

I claiml. In a gun, the combination with a barrel opening at the rearend into the receiver, of a breech-piece adapted for longitudinalmovement backward and forward in said receiver and adapted to swing intolocked position at the end of its forward movement, a locking device anda guide-way for said breech-piece, a reciprocating slide and a st ud andgroove connection between said slide and breechpiece, said groove havinga longitudinal portion and a portion at an angle thereto, whereby saidslide moves farther forward after swinging the breech-piece into fullylocked position and moves a short distance rearward before it commencesto swing the breech-piece out of fully locked position, a firingmechanism, and a firing finger arranged to be actuated by the slide forthrowing the firing mechanism into and out of locked position, wherebysaid firing mechanism is in operative position only when thebreech-piece is in fully locked position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gun, the combination with the barrel and the receiver thereof,of a longitudinally and laterally movable breech-piece, located in thesaid receiver, which receiver is constructed with an abutment forengagement with the rear end of the said breechpiece when the same is inits closed position, and said breech-piece being adapted to be movedlaterally in front of said abutment, a longitudinally movable slideconnected atits rear end with said breech-piece, which it operates tomove both longitudinally and later-- ally, a longitudinally movablehammer located in the rear of the breech-piece, a trigger located belowthe hammer and a sear pivotally attached to the trigger forward of thepivot thereof and adapted to engage with the hammer when the same is inits cocked position, and constructed with a firing finger which isengaged by the slide when the same is in its forward position,wherebythe sear is operated, substantially as set forth.

3. In a gun having the barrel opening into the receiver at the rear, thecombination therewith of a longitudinally reciprocating breechpiece, alongitudinally reciprocating slide below the barrel and extendingrearward below the breech-piece, and adapted to impart the reciprocatingmovement to the breech-piece, a carrier hung upon a pivot inv thereceiver below said slide, and extending from its pivot forward, adaptedto receive a cartridge from the source of supply, the carrier extendingin rear of its pivot, and at its rear end provided with a spring-doghung upon a pivot in the carrier so as to swing in a vertical plane, thecarrier constructed with a stop to limit the forward movement of saiddog, the said slide constructed with a projection adapted to en gagesaid dog as the slide approaches its extreme rear movement, and to turnthe dog so as to escape therefrom, the spring of the dog serving toreturn the said dog forward of the projection on the slide,substantially as described, and whereby as the slide commences itsreturn or closing movement, the said projection will engage said dogfrom the rear and raise the carrier.

4. In a gun, the 'combination with the barrel and receiver thereof, of alongitudinally movable breech-piece, a longitudinally movable slideconnected therewith for operating the same, a carrier located within thereceiver below the breech-piece, a feed-wheel located forward of thecarrier, a feed hook attached to the slide at a point to the rear of thesaid wheel, and in position to engage with the heads of the cartridgeswhen the slide is moved to the limit of its forward movement, anddevices located in front of the feed-wheel for operating the same, andconstructed to be actuated by the slide, substantially as set forth.

5. In a gun, the combination-with the barrel and the receiver thereof,of a longitudinally movable breech-piece, a longitudinally movable slideconnected with the said breechpiece and operating the same, a carrierlocated below the breech-piece and adapted to have its forward endlifted into the path thereof, a feed-wheel located forward of thecarrier, a feed hook attached to the slide at a point to the rear of thesaid feed-wheel and in position to engage the heads of cartridgescarried thereby when the slide is at the limit of its forward movement',an operating lever located in front of the feed-wheel, and pivoted atits lower end to swing in a vertical plane, its upper end being adaptedto be engaged by the forward end of the slide, and a pawl attached tothe lower end of the said lever in the rear of the pivot thereof, andadapted to engage IOO IIO

with the forward end of the feed-wheel which it operates to turnintermittently, substantially as set forth.

6. In a gun having the barrel opening at the rear into the receiver, thecombination therewithof a longitudinally reciprocating breechpiece, thebreech-piece provided with an extracting-hook, and an ejector-blockarranged in the receiver opposite the extracting-hook ofthebreech-piece, the said ej ector-block constructed on its face with aseries of teeth, the said teeth standing in the path of the head of theshell While in the grasp of the extractor, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

7. In a gun, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a receiverconstructed with an interior vertical passage contracted at its forwardend by inwardly projecting shoulders,

having the upper portions of their rear ends A beveled or inclined, alongitudinally movable breech-piece, a carrier pivoted by its rear endbelow the same so as to move in a vertical plane, and adapted atitsforward end to pass between the said shoulders, and means for feedingcartridges tothe said carrier and lifting the same, substantially as setforth, and whereby the said shoulders operate to lift the rear end ofthe cartridges into line with the bore of the gun as they are movedforward off the carrier by the forward movement of the breech-piece.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN M. BROWNING. Witnesses:

KATE LINEHAN, Y W. D. BURGESS.

